Austin’s Project Connect Gains Key Budget Approval

Austin’s long-awaited Project Connect moved forward with the approval of a $193 million budget, reports Haley McLeod in Community Impact.

Austin Transit Partnership, the entity tasked with building the 9.8-mile light rail project, can now move forward with design work needed before a planned groundbreaking in 2027.

The project also includes two MetroRapid bus routes and new park and ride facilities that will begin operating in 2025. “Also starting in 2025, the light rail project is expected to enter the project development phase. Over the past year, the agency has initiated the environmental impact review process, increasing the potential for additional federal funding once construction begins.”

The project will focus on engineering and design, stakeholder coordination and outreach, permitting, utility relocation, and regulatory compliance in the next fiscal year. McLeod adds, “Beginning in the next fiscal year, the agency will need to allocate funding towards pre-construction costs. Subsequently, the next several years' budgets are expected to increase sharply.”